Inspecting the Printed Panels
Downtown Sherbrooke with the hills in their autumn glory.
During our last visit to Sherbrooke, the exhibition team checked out the first samples of the proposed printing methods for our upcoming exhibition, Voices from the Engraver. Samples of one or two letters gave us a good idea of the final results, but on this trip, seeing the 8-foot-tall wooden panels with the full copy printed directly onto them was simply fantastic. Using a new process, staff of the exhibition fabrication department at the Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum have produced impressive results.
Finished display units awaiting artifacts.
No plywood fakes here – the table bases for the small “exhiblets” are hand built from solid walnut, matching the veneered panels.
The printer lays the ink directly onto the wood surface – no need for printed stickers or acrylic.
In the past, one would print onto a sticky film that would be applied to the panels. Now, however, it is possible to use the panels themselves as the final substrate, retaining the true surface. This process involves a form of ink-jet printer, but nothing like your desk-top HP! The panels are placed flat and the print head moves across them, laying down the ink – no possibility of paper jams, at least (or plywood jams…). A similar process is used for the metal panels, resembling engravers’ plates.
Artifacts such as engravers’ tools and plates will be displayed in these drafting table units.
A printing process similar to the one performed on the wood panels was used to lay down blank graphics onto aluminum sheets, imitating a printing plate.
Aluminum cubes will be used to number the artifacts in the drafting table display cases.
This very talented fabrication team really cares about quality and detail. The plywood panels are elegantly grained walnut veneer, but the bases of the drafting-table-style display units are custom built from solid walnut. They will hold not only artifacts but touch-panel monitors for our interactives and our hands-on guilloche (Spirograph®) drawing units.
Support frames to back the various artifacts where they are attached to the big panels.
Plans showing the final appearance of the guilloche interactive unit: three “Spirograph®” wheels, each with numerous choices of elliptical patterns. Fun.
The design of our ‘make your own bank note or stamp’ photo booth.
Finally taking design shape is our photo booth. Visitors sit for a photograph which is then processed to look like an engraving. To make their own stamp or bank note, they will then be given choices of backgrounds, frames and numbers to choose from plus they can enter a country or bank of their own choice. (Mordor, The Principality of Dave…) A stamp or bank note will be then be sent to their e-mail. Great fun, and we look forward to sharing with you the completed exhibition on our next adventure of exhibit planning.
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The Museum Blog
October 21, 2020
The men on the back of this bill were part of a small community of families, a summer hunting camp called Aulatsiivik on Baffin Island.
The Story Behind the Engraving
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog
Subject(s):
Collection,
History
October 5, 2020
When the Barenaked Ladies released “If I Had a $1,000,000,” they could have considered themselves reasonably rich. And today? Well, there’s this inflation thing…
If I Had a Million Dollars…I’d Be Reasonably Well Off
By: Graham Iddon
July 16, 2020
Johnson’s entire family, two girls and five boys, was involved in the counterfeiting operation: dad made the plates, the daughters forged the signatures and the boys were learning to be engravers.
Johnson’s Counterfeits
By: David Bergeron
Content type(s):
Blog
Subject(s):
Collection,
History
June 29, 2020
Among 1975 $50 bill’s various design proposals were three images, three thematic colours and even three printing methods.
The Reluctant Bank Note
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog
Subject(s):
Collection,
History
June 11, 2020
Using a Bank of Canada Museum lesson plan, nearly 200 students told us who they thought should be the bank NOTE-able Canadian on our new $5 bill.
Nominating an Icon for the Next $5 Bank Note
By: Graham Iddon
May 5, 2020
Reid was on the verge of ruin, yet insisted on continuing railway construction. Suffering huge losses, and with no credit or cash resources, Reid issued wage notes to pay his employees.
The “Streak of Rust” and the King of Newfoundland
By: David Bergeron
Content type(s):
Blog
Subject(s):
Collection,
History
April 22, 2020
In January 2021, 17 of our old bank notes will lose their legal tender status—what does that mean?
Retired Cash
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog
Subject(s):
Collection
March 30, 2020
There’s little doubt that the BCP45 is lovingly preserved today partly thanks to being immortalized on this beautiful blue five-dollar bill.
The Fisher, the Photographer and the Five
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog
Subject(s):
Collection,
History
January 15, 2020
Among the laser pistols, hover cars and androids of science fiction, there’s an elderly elephant in the room: money.
Where Futurists Feared to Tread
By: Graham Iddon
January 2, 2020
The Bank of Canada Museum set some very ambitious goals at the end of 2018. We have managed to achieve more in one year than we had since we opened in 2017.
Wrap-up, 2019
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog
November 8, 2019
Private Edward Atkinson’s example of trench art is what is called a “love token”—a souvenir made from a coin. It’s one man’s personal wartime experience expressed through a pocket-sized medium.
Private Atkinson’s War
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog
Subject(s):
Collection,
History
